Josh Collum
Soundstripe has hired publisher and entrepreneur Josh Collum as Senior Director of Publishing. He is based in Nashville, and will also be traveling to the company’s New York and Los Angeles offices.
Collum brings his expertise from over 13 years as the co-founder of sync licensing agency Sorted Noise to Soundstripe, where he will be responsible for driving publishing revenue and bringing the company’s extensive catalog to traditional sync opportunities in television, film, advertising, and more.
After co-founding Sorted Noise in 2009, Collum created their Sync Bootcamps. These camps resulted in songs that have secured thousands of licenses in TV shows such as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and This Is Us, and in ads for brands such as Ikea, DKNY, Chase, and Google. The success of the camps culminated in a joint venture and catalog acquisition by Reservoir in 2020.
While leading Sorted Noise, Collum also helped create The Other Nashville Society (TONS) in 2017, an organization to bring together and provide opportunities for artists in Nashville’s non-country leaning genres. This venture connected him with Soundstripe, who partnered with TONS earlier this year to create an Artist in Residence program. He will now work to maximize opportunities for Soundstripe’s catalog, created by an in-house music team of composers, artists, and mix engineers who have collectively won 9 Grammy Awards, worked on 29 Gold or Platinum-certified records, achieved over 2 billion streams across platforms, and collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Lorde, Maggie Rogers, Joss Stone, Underoath, and Relient K.
“I am thrilled to have Josh join our team as we take Soundstripe into the more traditional side of the music business,” shares Micah Sannan, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Soundstripe. “Pursuing film, television, and advertising sync opportunities is a new focus for us, and Josh’s track record speaks for itself when it comes to connecting songwriters with incredible placements. He has already been an asset to us through our partnership with TONS, and I can’t wait to see how we continue to grow under his leadership.”
“From the moment I began collaborating with Soundstripe through TONS, what immediately jumped out was their commitment to creators and the unique culture they’ve created around their incredibly talented music team of composers, artists, and mix engineers. That culture is reflected in not only the impressive quantity of songs in their catalog, but more importantly, the quality,” Collum explains. “They have made a huge name for themselves in the creator space, and the sky is the limit for where they can go in the sync world from here. Getting to officially join the Soundstripe team is incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to dive in and expand their publishing reach.”
In addition to his leadership of Sorted Noise and TONS, Collum has been at the forefront of sync through his career as an independent artist. He has had over 150 syncs in TV, film, and ads, as well as tens of thousands of micro-syncs that have reached over a quarter of a billion views on YouTube.
Longtime Background Vocalist Joanna Cotten Steps Away From Touring
/by Lydia FarthingJoanna Cotten & Eric Church perform during last year’s record-setting Nissan Stadium show. Photo: John Shearer
Longtime background vocalist Joanna Cotten has announced that she will be taking a break from touring to pursue her own solo activities.
Serving as the powerhouse vocalist supporting country superstar Eric Church, Cotten recently closed out the “Gather Again Tour” with the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter. The 55-show trek, which wrapped at Madison Square Garden on May 20, was awarded the 2022 Billboard Music Awards’ Top Country Tour.
“I want to let you all know that I made the decision to take some time off after the ‘Gather Again’ tour to focus on writing some new songs and have a time of rest & recovery. It was my intention to return, but God has other plans,” Cotten shared on social media.
“I also want you all to know that your energy carried me through so many shows with Eric. What a run we had,” she recalled. “I am so grateful for the stages I sang on with him & the people I met along the way. I am very much looking forward to new solo music and ventures on the horizon. I love you guys and I’ll see you out there on the road before you know it!”
Cotten launched her career as an artist 15 years ago with a song called “The Prize.” Since joining Church’s band, he regularly spotlighted her talent in his shows, and even included her in many of his studio recordings.
Restless Road Named Opry NextStage Artist For August
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Restless Road’s Garrett Nichols, Colton Pack and Zach Beeken. Photo: Danielle Piazza
Restless Road has been chosen as the first band to be part of the Opry NextStage program.
The trio is the fourth act to join the 2022 class that includes Elvie Shane, Morgan Wade and Breland. Restless Road will make their NextStage debut with an Opry performance on Aug. 20.
“We’re are beyond grateful to be chosen as an Opry NextStage Artist,” the trio shares. “Growing up we watched our country music heroes perform on the Opry stage, and that inspired us to keep going and chase our dreams even when it felt impossible. It means the world to us to be recognized by the Grand Ole Opry family, and we couldn’t be more excited to be a small part of Opry history.”
Restless Road’s breakout story of 2020 includes capturing the ear of country superstar Kane Brown, who signed the trio to his own label imprint, 1021 Entertainment. Their powerhouse harmonies and soul-baring lyrics put them on numerous 2021 watch lists, and members Zach Beeken, Colton Pack, and Garrett Nichols continue to rack up millions of streams.
Opry NextStage collaborations include live performances, strategic marketing support and short-form documentary-style storytelling created by Opry Entertainment’s content team. Opry NextStage presents rising artists who are making standout music at the forefront of their careers through the Opry’s marketing platforms, which are set to deliver more than 100 million impressions.
The two previous NextStage classes have featured artists such as Parker McCollum, Lainey Wilson, Riley Green and Tenille Townes, who all went on to earn ACM New Male and Female Artist of the Year trophies following their Opry NextStage debuts. NextStage launched in 2019 with an inaugural class that included Green, Tegan Marie, Townes and Travis Denning.
AmericanaFest Mobile App Launches With Full 2022 Schedule
/by Lorie HollabaughAmericanaFest has unveiled its full schedule with the launch of the 2022 mobile app, presented by Concord, ahead of the Sept. 13-17 conference. This year’s event, hosted in Nashville, will showcase more than 175 artists and bands across 36 venues with nearly 300 events available for attendees.
New additions to the lineup include Adeem the Artist, Bre Kennedy, Fisk Jubilee Singers, Josh Rouse, Rev. Greg Spradlin and Bonnie Montgomery.
Previously announced performers include 49 Winchester, Adia Victoria, American Aquarium, Angel Olsen, Asleep at the Wheel, Black Opry Revue, Jaime Wyatt, James McMurtry, The Jerry Douglas Band, Joshua Ray Walker, Leyla McCalla, Lori McKenna, Lukas Nelson & POTR, Margo Cilker, The McCrary Sisters, Miko Marks, Mindy Smith, Molly Tuttle & Golden Highway, North Mississippi Acoustic, Oliver Wood, Rissi Palmer, Rob Ickes and Trey Hensley, S.G. Goodman, Sierra Ferrell, Tim Kelly with Ruston Kelly, Town Mountain, Trousdale, and more.
For the full schedule and lineup, click here. The AmericanaFest app can be downloaded in the iOS app store or the Google Play store.
The five-day festival and conference event, in its 22nd year, will include the Americana Honors & Awards show taking place on Sept. 14 at Music City’s famed Ryman Auditorium, as well as over 45 conference panels that will touch on a variety of themes including artist interviews, an inside look at the music industry, embracing inclusion and striving for systemic change, and crafting a musical career.
2022 AmericanaFest Festival Passes are now on sale to the public and allow admission into all evening showcase venues and select sanctioned special events. Conference+Festival Passes are also on sale for both Americana Music Association Members and for the public.
Soundstripe Adds Josh Collum As Senior Director Of Publishing
/by Lydia FarthingJosh Collum
Soundstripe has hired publisher and entrepreneur Josh Collum as Senior Director of Publishing. He is based in Nashville, and will also be traveling to the company’s New York and Los Angeles offices.
Collum brings his expertise from over 13 years as the co-founder of sync licensing agency Sorted Noise to Soundstripe, where he will be responsible for driving publishing revenue and bringing the company’s extensive catalog to traditional sync opportunities in television, film, advertising, and more.
After co-founding Sorted Noise in 2009, Collum created their Sync Bootcamps. These camps resulted in songs that have secured thousands of licenses in TV shows such as Breaking Bad, Mad Men, Glee, Grey’s Anatomy, The Big Bang Theory, and This Is Us, and in ads for brands such as Ikea, DKNY, Chase, and Google. The success of the camps culminated in a joint venture and catalog acquisition by Reservoir in 2020.
While leading Sorted Noise, Collum also helped create The Other Nashville Society (TONS) in 2017, an organization to bring together and provide opportunities for artists in Nashville’s non-country leaning genres. This venture connected him with Soundstripe, who partnered with TONS earlier this year to create an Artist in Residence program. He will now work to maximize opportunities for Soundstripe’s catalog, created by an in-house music team of composers, artists, and mix engineers who have collectively won 9 Grammy Awards, worked on 29 Gold or Platinum-certified records, achieved over 2 billion streams across platforms, and collaborated with the likes of Kanye West, Beyoncé, The Weeknd, Lorde, Maggie Rogers, Joss Stone, Underoath, and Relient K.
“I am thrilled to have Josh join our team as we take Soundstripe into the more traditional side of the music business,” shares Micah Sannan, Co-Founder and Co-CEO at Soundstripe. “Pursuing film, television, and advertising sync opportunities is a new focus for us, and Josh’s track record speaks for itself when it comes to connecting songwriters with incredible placements. He has already been an asset to us through our partnership with TONS, and I can’t wait to see how we continue to grow under his leadership.”
“From the moment I began collaborating with Soundstripe through TONS, what immediately jumped out was their commitment to creators and the unique culture they’ve created around their incredibly talented music team of composers, artists, and mix engineers. That culture is reflected in not only the impressive quantity of songs in their catalog, but more importantly, the quality,” Collum explains. “They have made a huge name for themselves in the creator space, and the sky is the limit for where they can go in the sync world from here. Getting to officially join the Soundstripe team is incredibly exciting, and I can’t wait to dive in and expand their publishing reach.”
In addition to his leadership of Sorted Noise and TONS, Collum has been at the forefront of sync through his career as an independent artist. He has had over 150 syncs in TV, film, and ads, as well as tens of thousands of micro-syncs that have reached over a quarter of a billion views on YouTube.
Rosanne Cash, Tanya Tucker, The War And Treaty Among Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughRosanne Cash, Tanya Tucker, JJ Grey & Mofro, Del McCoury Band, Jerry Douglas Band, The War And Treaty, and Asleep at the Wheel are among the acts performing at this year’s Annual Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion festival. The three-day event is set for Sept. 9-11 in Historic Downtown Bristol, Virginia-Tennessee.
More than 120 acts are scheduled to perform on 16 stages over the three days at the place where Tennessee and Virginia meet along several blocks of State Street in Bristol, which is designated by Congress as the birthplace of country music and considered hollowed ground by artists all over the world.
A few other Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion 2022 highlights include the return of Bristol Rhythm’s free Children’s Day activities for families on Sept.10 at Anderson Park, as well as “1968: A Folsom Redemption,” a special exhibit at the Birthplace of Country Music Museum featuring a collection of photographs by two journalists who were among the few to be present at Johnny Cash’s historic concerts at Folsom Prison.
“This year marks the 95th anniversary of the 1927 Bristol Sessions and Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion is a celebration of that great history,” explains Leah Ross, Executive Director of Advancement for Birthplace of Country Music, the parent nonprofit of the festival, the Birthplace of Country Music Museum, and WBCM Radio Bristol. “Our lineup is a reflection of the vast influence those recordings have made on the music of today and the rich music culture of southwest Virginia and northeast Tennessee.”
Weekend and single-day passes to Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion are on sale now. The full lineup, artist schedule, and festival passes are available at BristolRhythm.com.
Musicians On Call Expands Team, Promotes One
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, top row): Alli Prestby, Audrey Jadwisiak, Ayleen Bueno; (L-R, bottom row): Jaede Brereton, Maddie Williams, Peyton Burnstead
Musicians on Call, the nonprofit bringing music to the bedsides of patients, families and caregivers in healthcare environments, has promoted one staffer and added six new members to its team.
The six new staffers who have joined the company include: Jaede Brereton as People Operations Manager, Peyton Burnstead as Fundraising Coordinator, Audrey Jadwisiak as Program Coordinator, Ayleen Bueno as Program Coordinator, Alli Prestby as Creative Coordinator and Maddie Williams as Executive Assistant.
Mandy Mullins
Mandy Mullins has been promoted to Senior Manager of Fundraising at the company. She joined the team at MOC in 2018 as Executive Operations Coordinator and shifted her role to Fundraising Operations Coordinator in 2019 to manage operations and assist with fundraising efforts. She’s also played an integral role in the work of MOC’s DEI Task Force.
“The demand for Musicians On Call’s programs that deliver the healing power of music in hospitals continues to grow at record speed. Recognizing Mandy’s great work, along with adding six new talented individuals to our team, will allow MOC to work more expeditiously to meet the increasing demand for our programs across the country,” shares Musicians On Call President & CEO Pete Griffin. “We look forward to seeing the great things all of these individuals will do to further our mission.”
As People Operations Manager, Brereton will manage all of MOC’s Human Resources activities and initiatives. She comes to MOC from the Talent Acquisition and Management division at Florida International University in Miami, and has experience working as a production assistant and concert runner for live concerts in the South Florida region.
Burnstead will support MOC’s national fundraising efforts as Fundraising Coordinator. She is a graduate of Belmont University and has worked in event management within the music industry, as well as a writer for various publications, including Alaska Airlines’ Alaska Beyond Magazine.
Jadwisiak and Bueno join MOC’s Programs Department to assist in delivering and expanding the organization’s live music programs. Jadwisiak will coordinate the Musicians On Call Bedside program and hospital partnerships within assigned markets across the country, as well as manage the volunteer experience. She has experience organizing concerts for artists at Texas A&M University while earning her degree in biomedical sciences, public health and business, and most recently worked in COVID-19 contact tracing and case investigation.
Bueno will coordinate the Musicians On Call Virtual program, including MOC’s Spanish-language virtual program. She will also work with the Program Team to implement MOC’s new technology-focused program delivery model. Bueno previously worked virtually as a language teacher, combining her virtual teaching skills with her love for non-profit work.
Prestby joins MOC’s Marketing team where she will help the organization build a nationally-recognized brand and create emotional connections that support fundraising initiatives and program expansion. She was formerly a student at Belmont University studying music, graphic design and communications.
Williams will be responsible for all areas of administrative support for MOC’s President & CEO and Executive Vice President. On top of her experience in customer support and administration, she worked as an Assistant Golf Pro in Texas and Middle Tennessee at Old Natchez Country Club.
Haley McCollister Named President Of Messina Touring Group
/by LB CantrellHaley McCollister
Haley McCollister has been promoted to President of Messina Touring Group’s Nashville office. The 12-year veteran of the company will continue to oversee operations and expansion, and lead the next generation of MTG.
McCollister, a Billboard Women in Music honoree, spearheads North American touring for Ed Sheeran, whose last “North American Stadium Tour” in 2018 reported 1.14 million in ticket sales. She has also been at the helm of North American touring for The Lumineers, who are currently on the road with their “Brightside World Tour,” which has reported 462,223 in ticket sales across 34 dates with over $26 million in revenue to-date, with 19 dates remaining. Additionally, McCollister has played an integral role in promoting Taylor Swift’s touring since she joined the company in 2010.
“I knew Haley was going to be a superstar from the day I hired her. I asked her what she wanted to be, and she said she wanted my job. Twelve years later, she is knocking on that very door,” shares MTG CEO Louis Messina. “We want MTG to have a big presence in Nashville, and I can’t think of anyone better to lead the way.”
“I’m excited for the opportunity to collaborate more closely with the Nashville managers, agents and artists who’ve been part of our success and to continue to build new relationships across the industry,” adds McCollister. “I’m grateful to have found such a special place to put down roots and grow my family, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to do the same with the MTG office.”
Amazon Music’s ‘Country Heat Weekly’ Kicks Off Second Season With Brooke Eden
/by Lydia FarthingPictured (L-R): Brooke Eden, Kelly Sutton, Amber Anderson. Photo: Courtesy of Amazon Music
Amazon Music has launched the second season of its flagship country podcast, Country Heat Weekly.
The second installment of the series kicked off last week as hosts Kelly Sutton and Amber Anderson talked with breakout singer-songwriter Brooke Eden about her new EP, Choosing You. Eden discussed her journey to finding and healing herself, as well as how it impacted her music. She also revealed details behind her upcoming wedding, the special moment she shared with Trisha Yearwood on the Opry stage, and more. To listen to the full episode, click here.
In addition to exclusive conversations with some of the format’s biggest and fastest-rising stars, the podcast also delivers the newest country music news, most popular tracks, and celebrates various parts of country music’s history.
The second season will also feature special guests including Dierks Bentley, Dylan Scott, Frank Ray, Kane Brown, Ingrid Andress, and more. New episodes are released every Thursday.
AFM 257 To Host ‘For Those We Lost’ Benefit Concert
/by Lydia FarthingA collection of AFM Local 257 members are set to perform at 3rd and Lindsley next Tuesday (Aug. 9) as part of the “For Those We Lost” benefit concert.
Starting at 7 p.m. CT, the event aims to raise money for the Nashville Musicians Association Beneficiary Fund. The Fund has paid out more than $300,000 to the beneficiaries of 78 AFM Local 257 members who passed away since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hosted by bassist Dave Pomeroy, who has served as president of AFM Local 257 since 2009, performers for the evening include Jeff Coffin, Larry Cordle, John Cowan, Don Schlitz, Guthrie Trapp Trio, Three Ring Circle, The SloBeats, and the McCrary Sisters, with more to come.
The special show will honor many of the prominent AFM 257 members lost during the pandemic, including John Prine, Joe Diffie, Beegie Adair, Hargus “Pig” Robbins, Charlie Daniels, Bob Moore, Jan Howard, Joe Diffie, Dallas Frazier, JT Gray, Bill Pursell, Tim Akers, Roland White, and Kenny Malone.
Tickets are available here.
Former ‘The Voice’ Finalist Josh Gallagher Inks With Kobalt Music
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R, back row): Kevin Lane, Senior Creative Director; Stephanie Cox, GM/SVP Creative; (L-R, front row): Morgan Brasfield, Creative Manager; Josh Gallagher
Former The Voice finalist Josh Gallagher has signed with Kobalt Music.
The Pennsylvania native is the first country artist The Voice coach Adam Levine had ever led to the finale on Season 11 of the competition in 2016. He has since independently earned millions of streams across his catalog and explored partnerships with global brands such as Groove Life, Orange Amps, Realtree and Natural Light. He has also shared stages with Randy Houser, Eric Paslay, Lee Ann Womack, Cole Swindell and more.
“I knew I wanted to work with Josh from the first time I saw him play,” says Kobalt Creative Manager Morgan Brasfield. “His talent is undeniable and I’m so excited to keep building his career both as a songwriter and an artist.”
“Anyone who’s been in this town long enough gets used to hearing ‘no’ or worse, not hearing anything at all. So, after years of high hopes turning into letdowns, when someone—the right someone—finally says ‘yes,’ every bad day becomes worth it,” Gallagher shares. “For a company like Kobalt to be that someone for me is an absolute honor.
“This has become so much bigger than just my dream,” he continues. “My wife and I welcomed our first kid—a baby boy—back in March, and I can’t wait to tell him about this moment when he’s old enough to understand. I can’t wait to see what the future looks like, and I have no doubt that Kobalt is right team to get me wherever I’m meant to be.”